Brad Cartwright

Let’s Talk About Pacing IB Economics
August 26th, 2025

I hope the year is off to a smooth start, and if you’re anything like me, you’re already thinking about one of the biggest challenges we face as IB Economics teachers:

Pacing.

This might be the most complex part of our job—juggling content, assessments, internal deadlines, school calendars, and student needs all at once. 

And even after all these years, I still find myself adjusting and recalibrating.

We all do.

So this week, I want to offer you my best advice as you begin planning out the two-year journey. 

What are the benchmarks to hit? 

What should your mileposts look like? 

And how can you set yourself—and your students—up for success?

Let’s break it down.

The Big Picture

There’s a lot to fit into the two-year course. Here’s the landscape:

• Introduction to Economics
• Microeconomics
• Market Power (for HL)
• Macroeconomics
• The Global Economy (International + Development Economics)
• Three Internal Assessments (Micro, Macro, Global)
• And of course, a solid 3–4 weeks of review before exams

It’s a lot. But it’s doable—with the right structure.

The Most Important Benchmark: Microeconomics

Here’s what I’ve learned over the years, and I’ll say it plainly:

If you get through Microeconomics by the end of the first semester of Year 1, everything else falls into place.

If you don’t, you’re chasing your tail

That means:

• Introduction to Economics
• Microeconomics

That’s your first benchmark. Hit that, and everything else becomes far more manageable.

Year 1: Keep It Moving

After Microeconomics, the goal is to complete Macroeconomics by the end of Year 1.

If you’re teaching both HL and SL together (like I usually do), I still try to teach Microeconomics and Macroeconomics  in Year 1.

If I fall a bit short—especially on that last unit in Macroeconomics, the one on the Economics of Inequality and Poverty—I don’t stress. You can always pick that up at the start of Year 2.

Also in Year 1, I aim to complete both the Microeconomics and the Macroeconomics Internal Assessment.

Why?

Because if you get both of those done in Year 1, then Year 2 is open for:

• The Global Economy (International + Development Economics)
• The third Internal Assessment
• HL-only content
• And review time

Year 2: Stretch, Then Tighten

I begin Year 2 by teaching the Global Economy—International Economics first, then Development Economics. If I have to shorten anything, it’s usually the Development unit.

This sets up what I call the HL Semester, which begins at the start of Semester 2 of Year 2.

That semester is where I focus on:

• Market Power 
• Behavioral Economics
• And any HL content that needs review or deepening

I’ve found that I can teach Market Power in about two months, which still leaves me a solid 4–6 weeks for review period leading up to exams in May (or October, for Southern Hemisphere schools).

That final month of review is gold. And it only happens if the pacing in Year 1 is tight.

Of Course… Life Happens

You already know this, but it’s worth saying:

No plan survives contact with real life.

School trips. Holidays. Unexpected assemblies. Disruptions of all kinds.

But having a pacing structure in mind—benchmarks you’re aiming for—helps you absorb the hits and keep your course on track.

So What Should You Do Now

Simple: Put your head down and get through Microeconomics in the first semester.

That’s your anchor. That’s your pace setter.

Then build from there.

If it helps, I’ve linked to the pacing documents I use for both SL and HL two-year runs. You can check them out:  IB Economics Two-Year Pacing Framework.

Take what works. Adjust what you need.

And remember: your students don’t need perfection. They need clarity. And calm.

And the train has left the station…

See you next week.